ABD EL KRIM AND PEACE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 13 August 1925, Page 7

ABD EL KRIM AND PEACE.

HIS TERMS TO THE ENEMY. SPECIAL INTERVIEW' WITH RIFF til 1 FT TAIN. Says the London Daily Telegraph of June 22: Mr. Larry Hue, the 'special staff correspondent of the Chicago Tribune, has just returned to Tangier from the Ritf country. He forwarded the following despatch, containing an interview with Abd el Kriin, wherein lie gives the tentative peace terms which ho is ollieia.lly authorised by the Rldf leador to present to the French anil J>pnnish Government. Jn a. lint,shell, Abd el Kriin oilers peace with Frame, with practically tire same borders provided in tile. Treaty n) Algeciras, on condition that the independence ot the J{iff is recognised. He demands the ‘‘old boundaries of the Riff, including Ceuta and Meiilla. Rut Abd el Krim, I was given to understand, is willing to modify later the demands to the evacuation of Tetuan in recognition for the complete independence of territory then in his possession. Abd el Krim protested that he, and not the French, was fighting on the defensive, and laughed when 1 told him that the French newspapers were charging him with attempting to capture Fez and proclaim himself Sultan, if not Khalifa'h. ‘‘L have enough trouble in the J: without hunting it abroad, ’ he said. ‘‘l. have never had .any intention to take Fez, nor have 1 any ambition to be Sultan of Morocco, or to the Khila fall. That is nonsense. ’ But here's the story : “My motive? First. I fought Spaiii because we do not recognise the Treaty of Algeciras, which partitioned the I; into a protectorate area and abolished the independence which wa.s heretofore acknowledged by al'l the Great Rowers. The result is what you can see lor yourself ; at least part of the Rdf. is independent. I ntil recently I was on the best of terms with France. Rut for the la*st two yeat.v France has expelled my representatives, arrested and beaten my couriers, confiscated my merchandise crossing the border. Ever since the independence movement began I have invited France to delimit the frontier. Every request was refused. In 1928 Lyautey invited me to send a representative to Rabat. I clt so. but his pronee was ignored. Then

General do Chamhtun informed me tliai Che Kieiuli wore, advancing; their outposts beyond tiio Ouergha. and lie o>dojcv.l my soldiers to withdraw I'rmn till tit- region, whore they wore marketing. As my hands wero lull at that time* with Fpain. L eomplied with ili< order. Tint early in April .of t ins yea.; J received another order that mv tr'oops, who were iinii keting m .( he IJeni Zeroual territory. which lias a.I ways been, Killian, must withdraw from this region. ‘•Keen had 1 wanted to comply with this request. 1 would not have had time before the French aeroplanes dropped bombs* upon my men. Voila! that is why 1 was fenced to pi to war to protect the rights of the Riffs. My motive is purely defensive. We demand that the Kitts shall he respected in the French zone, a.s we are willing to respect French .rights in the Kitf zone. The bombardment was the culmination of aggravations which forced me reluctantly to make preparations to defend my country.” ‘‘Would you, then, lie willing to make peace with France on the Jioundary which is specified in the Algeciras Treaty?” I asked. ‘‘Our arms now will decide the frontier.” he responded. But next day Abd el Kriin told me: ‘T am always glad to discuss terms of peace with France. You can invite France to send her responsible representative to me. and if France wants peace there is no obstacle as to the frontier, although we are in a better position than ever to discuss this. However, if she wants war we are ready: it will mean disaster for France. When France advanced towards us we were forced to defend ourselves, and we are ready to fight until death.”

Regarding Spain. Abd el Krim is less desirous of peace. “Yon can inform General Primo de Rive’a,” he told me, “that we are demanding that Spain shall recognise the comnlete independence of the Riff, including Ceuta and Melilla.” But I learned later that Abd el Krim is willing to make peace on the condition that only Tetuan is included.

I confirmed the report that both Spain and France sent n peace feeler into the Riff at the beginning of this month. T saw a copy of a friendly letter which "Marshal Bynutey relayed through the French outpost, which began bv a sic in " Abd el Krim if he needed doctors: then inviting him to send a representative to Rabat; and ending by detailing tlie grievances of France. Abd el Krim admitted that. General Prime de Rivera had relayed peace condition- also through the Spanish outpost, lint declared that lie ignored the communication because it was imoronerlv presented : the agent merely read nut the list of conditions from an ordinary niece of panel*. “Thev wore oven unsigned, and T have forgotten what thev were.” Abd el Krim told me.

F''om other sources T wn« told that offered to evacuate Tetuan and also to furnish monev to the Riff Government for Government service and rvnblie on the condition that At>d el Krim meocuised the Spanish Protectorate and incorporated Spanish advisers in his Government.' General T>rime de Rivera told me 1-esfprdav that lie had merely authorised the outpost to info-m Abd el Vl-i>n that be meet veone-nise the Snan-i-b Protectorate ; that Spain was here ns a friend and not out for conquest, but to help in the economic and social development of the eo"nt'-v., to build roads, railways and schools. ATROCITIES DENIED. I told Abd el Krim that tlie French state they are fighting for humanity. “No on e fights for humanity by boinoing villages and kilting non-combat* arits, women and children,” fie replied, “One figlits for humanity with doctors’ teachers, and charitab e works. If they want to fight for humanity let them send doctors here.” lie explained, however, he did not want doctors tor the care of tlie wounded. His Josses, fortunately, are not heavy, and lie has only a comparatively few wounded. He needs doctors to impro.e sanitary ana hygienic conditions of the \illages anu to wage war against typhoid and other diseases. I asked Abd el Ivri meonceining atro. cities, informing him that the bodies of Fie noli soldiers had been l'qund mutilated. “Never has a single one of my soldieis mutilated a body,” he retorted em phatically. “If bodies have been mutilated it is certainly by tribes who have been venting their rage because of aeroplane bombardments, but the Riff pj.dier is absolute y ihhodtfit of this barbarity.” AW el Krim disavowed any hope or belief in a Confederation of Arab

States. ‘‘The Riff movement is not re_ iigious, not racial, but patriotic,” he insisted. I asked him what form of Government the Riff intended to adopt if the Rowers concede the independence oi the Riff“lt will rest as it is,” which, after some questioning, meant an absolute monarchy advised by the “best minds” in the country. He wants compulsory sclioo s in the Riff. Economically Abd el Krim said the Rill' would be willing to concede the present rights in mining, railway, and other concessions or of private property holders outside the present Riff boundaries; that means that Spanish interests would keep the rich iron mines at Marti 11a and the railways, but the Riff Governriient ignores any claims for concessions in territory held by Abd el Kriin. , ~ Ho denied that there was any tierman influence in the Riff, asking me if I could , see any or if 1 was able to find asi if (, lc man on his staff who even smoke the" German language. ‘‘There would be no advantage for the Riffs to lose their lives fighting for freedom merely to sacrifice it to another Rower.”